


missed connections

by ConsequentialGamer



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Fools in Love, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, ezio doesn't know shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:15:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28004508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConsequentialGamer/pseuds/ConsequentialGamer
Summary: They agreed to meet at noon, three days before. It's only while he sits outside the Ezio begins to wonder if he was wrong
Relationships: Ezio Auditore da Firenze/Leonardo da Vinci
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	missed connections

Firenze in the summer, at the height of the day, is hot. Muggy, might be a more accurate word for it. When the sun is beating down at its strongest, the residents of the city go inside to hide in the cooler shadows. Curtains are pulled over windows and doors are left cracked to catch any slight breeze. Guards remove their helmets and lay down their arms, doing everything except abandon their post in the onslaught of heat. Even the dogs and cats are silent and absent as they sleep through the unbearable weather. It was, overall, the perfect time for Ezio to be out.

The robes he wears are heavy, but breathable. As long as he isn’t racing over rooftops and leaping into hay piles, the heat is manageable. Manageable, but still uncomfortable. And as time passes, Ezio shifts uncomfortably against the stones he’s seated on. Despite being in the shade all day, even they had begun to react to the heat and any relief they may have provided before was gone. Surely, he hadn’t been sitting there for very long? He looks again at the door he’s sitting outside of, toying with a few guesses in his head when a distant toll informs him of a new hour. If he had to guess, then, it’d been roughly half an hour since he sat down outside Leonardo’s door.

All told, it was more likely that he was early and Leonardo had been caught up in some errands, or perhaps a house call to finish a painting he’d promised months before. The older man was constantly flitting from one project to another as if he expected them to finish themselves. It wasn’t for a lack of caring; it was an overabundance of passion. When the invitation was brought up, Ezio had been in the middle of doing what he could to organize Leonardo’s next few days with him.

Three days ago, they were walking through the market together. Leonardo was inspecting a bolt of dark green fabric and Ezio, laden with canvases and paints and other bottles, admonished him gently.  
“Leonardo, _amico,_ you came to buy food. You told me your pantry was empty. I’m not certain you can eat…” He lifted one of the glass bottles of bright yellow powder, turning it over to read the label. “Sulphur?” He shook the bottle a bit, raising an eyebrow.

“Technically, you could eat it, though I would advise against it,” Leonardo responded absently, handing over a few coins for the bolt of fabric and adding it carefully to the pile Ezio was carrying. “We can get food now. I just needed a few things, and I remembered when we came this way. Surely, a big strong man such as yourself can handle carrying these things for a bit longer?” The teasing in his voice was heavy, and it wasn’t the heat that made Ezio’s cheeks redden.

“I’m perfectly capable, thank you. I just don’t know where you could possibly put these things. Your workshop is full.” Ezio follows behind his friend as they walk past stalls of food.

“Mm, I do suppose you’re right.” Leonardo pauses and turns around. “If you’re not busy, you could alway come over to my home and help me organize things there. I need to move some things soon anyway, but only if you’re willing.”

Ezio, truthfully, would forgo his own wedding if Leonardo asked. He was wrapped around the man’s finger. But he didn’t say as much, and only smiled. “I can always make time for a friend. Thursday?”

Leonardo nods in response, mirroring Ezio’s smile. “Thursday. At noon.”

With a meeting set, they continued gathering the last of Leonardo’s errands. Ezio carried everything that was decidedly not food, and placed it in the workshop wherever Leonardo indicated. As he finished putting the items away in a basic way, he noticed that the older man hadn’t even begun putting his groceries aside. However, he waved it off and stepped toward the door, lifting his hood up over his head. “Thursday at noon?” Ezio called, waiting for an affirmative response before slipping outside and into the decidedly cooler night air.

~~~

Ezio runs a hand through his hair, loosening the red ribbon tying it up. After a moment of fidgeting, he pulls it out entirely to readjust. As it falls, his hair sticks to the back of his sweat drenched neck until it lifts it up again. Thursday at noon, yet here he sits an hour past with no sign of Leonardo. Maybe he’d gotten himself into trouble? It was always a possibility. Ezio is no stranger to the accusations his friend had been caught up in in the past, and it seems there’s always someone with something to say about it all. Coupled with the older man’s trusting nature and his appearance as a pushover, keeping him safe tends to be a full time job.

The day after their market trip, Ezio hadn’t planned on seeing Leonardo. He was working toward a couple leads that might get him into a small, private function, hosted by his latest target. So when he saw a flash of blonde hair by the docks, he didn’t think much of it at first until it was followed by Leonardo’s voice. The man Ezio was tailing disappeared around a corner and rather than follow, the assassin turned to follow the voice he knew. He stayed back for a moment, watching and listening instead of immediately making himself known.

_ “Messere,  _ I’m certain I already paid you for this piece.” The sickly sweet voice came from a less sweet looking man holding a brown paper wrapped canvas. It wasn’t a very large piece, but it certainly wouldn’t come cheap. 

“Ah, but, I’m most certain that you didn’t. Truly. I keep a record--”

“Are you calling me a liar?” The man cut off Leonardo’s sentence, his voice taking on a sharp tone. “Besides, it took you twice as long as you said it would. So are you trying to charge me twice for work I should even pay you once for?” As Ezio peered further around the stack of crates he was hiding behind, a flash caught his eye. The man was holding a knife, spinning it casually. “It really would be a shame if something happened, especially over something as petty as some florins.”

It’s as Leonardo begins to stutter through a response that Ezio moves away from his hiding spot and toward the pair. “Leonardo!” He calls as he approaches, adding an easy and casual step to his arrival. “I was looking for you, friend. And I found you here, having a bit of a disagreement it seems?” He looks the man up and down with an unmistakable glare. To his credit, the man does seem to shrink slightly.

“Sir, you must understand--”

“Understand what? That you’re trying to swindle Leonardo out of a proper payment?” Despite an objection from the artist himself, Ezio steps closer to the sleazy client and backs him toward the edge of the dock. “It’s a good thing I was in the area then. He may take his time but he’s no fool. And you said it yourself...It would be a shame to get hurt over a few florins.” The assassin flicks the edge of his robe back, exposing his falchion in a clear threat.

The man flounders for a moment, eyes flickering between Ezio and Leonardo before finally reaching to his belt and unhooking a pouch. “H-here. Just take it. Please don’t hurt me.”

Ezio swipes the pouch from the man’s shaking hand and tosses it directly to Leonardo with a satisfied smile. Any of his predatory energy was gone and the joy on his face was genuine. “Perfect! I’m glad we could all come to an agreement here. Leonardo, would you like for me to accompany you on your way back? I’d hate to think this weasel might try something if I leave.”

Leonardo nods slightly, fumbling the coin purse into his pocket. “Yes, yes. We should be off.”

~~~

Ezio opens his eyes to realize that he must have dozed off. For how long, he’s not sure, but the sun still beats down and the shadows haven’t moved much. The door to his right remains shut. He’d leaned over to it a couple times already to knock. He even considered going inside anyway; there’s a window at the back that never latches right and it would just take a little encouragement with the hidden blade to pop it open. He only entertains the thought for a moment before pushing it away. If Leonardo isn’t home, there’s no reason to break in. And if he is...he’s ignoring Ezio for a reason, and forcing himself inside won’t do either of them any favors. There’s a few reasons the artist may be ignoring him, and it’s all Ezio can do not to dwell on them anymore than he has in the past day.

One day before their scheduled meeting, Ezio had stopped in and surprised both of them. Leonardo hadn’t been expecting the visit and truthfully, Ezio hadn’t either. But he’d managed to get his hands on yet another codex piece; one of the last few he needed to finish the collection on the wall of Mario’s estate. Unable to curb his excitement for another day, he’d gone straight to Leonardo’s and knocked on the door, throwing it open when he saw the lamplight inside. 

Leonardo was there, yes, and fully startled by the assassin’s entrance. A bottle of ink toppled down to the floor as he jumped up and knocked his knee on the table leg in the process. The chair he’d been sitting in went backwards into a pile of buckets, which all went careening down. The suddenness of it all had both men frozen in place as they took in the scene before them. Leonardo moved first, recovering from his shock the moment he recognized the white robes.

“Ah, Ezio! I, I wasn’t expecting you. And certainly not at this late hour. Come in, come in.” He quickly scooped up the inkwell, beginning to soak up its spilled contents with a few ripped and stained rags.

“Leonardo, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you…” The assassin hurried forward and began gathering the buckets that had rolled away, stacking them safely in a corner instead of precariously in the middle of the workshop. “ _ Mi dispiace,  _ I should have waited for you to let me in. I just had this codex page I wanted to bring you...”

Leonardo waves a hand, perking up slightly at the mention of the codex. “It’s no trouble at all. I really should have gone to bed by now anyway, but...ah, hand it here. I’ll get started on it.” He takes the rolled scroll and lays it out on his table, covering the parchment he’d been poring over before. He wastes no time in deciphering the code, mumbling to himself as he does. It’s a familiar scene, and one that clears the air from the awkward entrance before. Ezio pulls up a chair to the table and sits across from Leonardo, alternating between watching his hands work and watching his face as he thinks. Leonardo’s mind is something that’s always intrigued Ezio; he’s certain that if he were able to peer inside, he’d be more confused than when he simply listens to the older man speak. 

Despite Leonardo’s familiarity with the codex, this one is heavily encrypted and the candles in the room are mostly burnt out by the time he triumphantly rolls the scroll up again and places it in front of Ezio. The latter had been focused on the way the dulled candle light danced shadows across Leonardo’s face, so deeply caught in his thoughts that he genuinely startled at the codex being placed in front of him. “Oh! Um, thank you, Leonardo.”

“Of course...is something on your mind? You seem distant.”

Ezio shakes his head quickly as he gets to his feet. “No, no. I’m simply...tired. Thank you again. There should only be a few more and then we can really figure out what we’re looking at.” He goes to pick up the codex, but a hand covers his own as soon as his fingers touch it. 

“Ezio?” Leonardo’s close now. Ezio absently wonders when he’d moved around the table, and when he got so close. Had Leonardo’s beard always had grays in it? It must not have, surely he would have noticed before. He’s certainly not old. Perhaps the artist is finally showing signs of stress. Ezio can only hope that that’s not his fault. Maybe he should stop dropping in on Leonardo so suddenly and expecting him to do things time after--

Ezio’s entire mind blanks as Leonardo’s mouth presses against his own. There’s a moment where his entire body tenses, and he feels the need to run. But as Leonardo leans closer, he relaxes and brings up a hand to thread it through the artist’s hair. After a few moments, they both part and simply stare at each other. The blankness in Ezio’s mind is cleared by a torrent of thoughts and confusion as Leonardo turns away, cheeks pink. 

Finally, painfully, Ezio clears his throat and picks up the codex page. “I...I’ll see you tomorrow, Leonardo.” He nods slightly and stiffly, quickly, walks out the door. 

~~~

Ezio looks down at his hands, thinking about the night before and grimacing. In the moment, that was the only response he could come up with. Now? He’s quite certain that this is the reason Leonardo hasn’t shown up. The streets are shadowed as the sun dips below the buildings, and people have begun leaving their homes to finish the rest of their errands. Ezio stands and stretches his sore muscles, grimacing as he pulls his hood up and collects his things. He’s spent too much time waiting, and he needs to move on. It’s as he tightens his hidden blades that he freezes.

“Ezio?”

The assassin turns slowly and sees Leonardo, looking confused but eyes unmistakably red rimmed. He’s upset, and it both breaks and hardens Ezio’s heart. 

“Ezio...how long have you been sitting here?”

“Since just before noon? We...said we would meet at noon.”

Leonardo simply stares, and stares. An uncomfortable silence hangs between the two of them. Ezio shifts on his feet and avoids Leonardo’s face as much as he possibly can. Finally, when it seems like things will never be okay again, Leonardo begins to laugh.

Ezio frowns, furrowing his brows as he just...waits. All he can think is that certainly Leonardo is laughing  _ at  _ him. There really is no other explanation other than that. Finally, he speaks up. “What’s so funny?” 

Leonardo only barely manages to catch his breath, opening the door to his workshop. He grabs Ezio’s wrist and pulls him inside, which is easy to do considering the assassin is still confused and shocked. 

“Ezio... _ Ezio. _ Do you think I live here?”

The question is inexplicable. What could that possibly mean? Of course Leonardo lives there. Where else could he possibly live? 

Ezio’s face says it all. “Um...yes?”

The response he gets is not what he expects. Leonardo opens his arms wide, spinning in a circle with a laugh, as if presenting his home. “Ezio...have you ever seen a bed here? Food, besides some fruit and bread? This is my  _ workshop.  _ I live down the road.”

It’s with all those words that Ezio’s brain simply short circuits. Everything he thought that he knew is...shattered. Laughable. Of course Leonardo lives at his workshop but...of course he  _ doesn’t.  _ There’s nothing there to indicate that someone lives there full time. Ezio knows the workshop like the back of his hand and Leonardo is right. There’s no bed, not even a comfortable couch. There’s just drawings and inventions and art and anatomy studies. 

“I…” Ezio lets the sound out involuntarily, then shakes his head and presses on. “I’ve never been to your home. You’ve never told me where you do live.”

At this, Leonardo’s amusement fades but the smile remains. “That’s a fair point to make. I guess we’re both fools then, hm? I waited for you in my home all day. I was certain that--”

“You didn’t want to see me,” Ezio finishes quietly, knowing full well that he’d had the same thought only moments earlier. “ _ Merda,  _ Leonardo. We’re both just fools.” He shakes his head and can’t stop the smile that dances across his lips. “Stupid, stupid fools…” He reaches out and catches one of Leonardo’s wrists with his hand, pulling the other man closer and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Stupid,” he repeats, closing his eyes as Leonardo catches his lips with his own.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired during my...[some embarrassing number] playthrough of AC2. I took the chance to really wander around Leonardo’s workshop when you get to early on and realized...it’s just a workshop! I love fics that give him a lofted bedroom or something similar but we’re all fools. He has a home somewhere else you never go to! So I thought of course, Ezio wouldn’t catch onto that. He’s smart but he’s not exactly the brightest bulb.


End file.
